Meddling
by RoxieLupin
Summary: Pride and Prejudice. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Charlotte Collins, during Darcy and Elizabeth's visits in Kent, are trying to give their cousin and friend a hand.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one:**

Miss Georgiana Darcy was sitting in the living room of her brother's house in London. At this time of the day, she usually could be found practicing steadily on her piano. She was a stand-offish kind of person when it came to people but music was her real mean of expression and she was practicing it many hours a day.

The fact that she wasn't practicing, by this sad and rainy day of fall, was a clear sign of her agitation. She was waiting for her cousin, the colonel Fitzwilliam, who was supposed to arrive any moment now. He would stay two days at their house before leaving with her brother to spent a few weeks in Kent, to the house of their aunt, Lady Catherine. The mere presence of his cousin was not the cause of her anxiety. She loved him dearly as he was sharing with her brother the responsibility of being her guardian. The cause of her anxiety was rather the conversation she was determined to have with him concerning her brother, Fitzwilliam.

She hesitated a long time before deciding to speak with her cousin. She tried to talk to her brother herself, but he would gently tell her to forget it and that she needn't worry about him. But she couldn't stop worrying about his happiness and thus, she resolved to ask for her cousin's help. Surely, her brother would confided in him and he would be the best one to help him.

She jumped slightly when she heard the doorbell ring and she ran to the entrance to greet him.

- My dear Georgiana, exclaimed her cousin when he saw her. You look extremely well.

- Yes. I hope you had a nice trip. Oh cousin, I'm so happy to see you. I had something extremely important to talk to you about.

He looked slightly worried at that.

- Really? Well, we could go in the library and wait for your brother to arrive.

- He's already there but I ordered not to call him yet. I need to talk to you right now, before you meet him.

His cousin seemed mystified but he followed her in the living room anyway. They sat on a bench near a window. He took her hand a pressed in his in a gesture of affectuous solicitude.

- My dear child, has something happened to you?

- No, that's Fitzwilliam I wanted to talk to you about.

He looked surprised.

- What's wrong with him?

- I think he's looks a bit sad and depressed. He often stays alone in his office or in the library. He doesn't go out as often as he did and he most of the time, when he is with me, he seems rather thoughtful.

- Are you sure that he's not only his usual self? said he with a small smile.

- I'm sure. Even if the change is so subtile, I know there is something wrong with him that he doesn't want to talk about. He was often grave before but never melancholic as he is now.

- You tried to speak to him?

- Of course, but he says not to worry about him and that it isn't important.

- But he didn't deny that he had something on his mind.

- No, he didn't.

- Do you have any idea of what it can be?

- Well, he's like that since he came back from Hertfordshire…

- He was there with Mr Bingley and his sisters, wasn't he?

- Yes.

- So you think something might have happened there.

- She nodded.

- What kind of thing could put Darcy in that state? A woman?

She hesitated. It was one thing to tell facts about her brother's state to their cousin, but to confide her suspicions to him without having any proofs. She was afraid her brother wouldn't be happy with her at all if he knew about it. But her intentions were good. She had to do something to help him. So she nodded quietly.

- Who could he have met in Hertfordshire? Miss Bingley? I'd rather think not…

- Well, he wrote a few times about a young lady he met there in the letters he send me. I mean, he never talked about love but the way he speaking of her… He seemed to esteem her a lot and he did mention that she had fine eyes. I never heard that much from him about any other woman before.

- That's true. And what's the name of the mysterious lady?

- Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

- And you said he wrote that she had fine eyes. Oh dear, I never dare to dream I would one day see Fitzwilliam's peace disturbed by a woman.

- You won't tell him what I told you? She asked suddenly worried.

- Of course not. You can count of my discreetion. I'll be careful when I discuss with him. That's what you want me to do isn't it?

- Well, I thought he would confide more easily in you. You probably can help him more than I can.

- Then I'll promise I'll do the best I can for him.

He left to go and meet his cousin in his office, leaving Georgiana very relieved that she could now count on someone to take care of her dear brother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

Colonel Fitzwilliam didn't go directly to the library to talk to his cousin when he left Georgiana. He went to the bedroom that had been prepared for him to change. The real reason to do so was more to take the time to think and plan the conversation he needed to have with Darcy than the dirt on his travelling clothes. This wasn't going to be easy. Darcy wouldn't like him asking questions about his personal life, and he would hate it even more if it was about love. But the colonel was extremely curious about the story. It seemed to him that Darcy had to feel more than an ordinary inclination if it was important enough to induce a visible change in his behaviour and attitude.

Fifteen minutes later, he went downstairs to the library door and asked the valet to introduce him. When he entered, Darcy was sitting at his desk, papers spread in front of his and a frown on his face. It disappeared when he saw his cousin enter.

"Fitzwilliam! I didn't know you were already there," he said, moving forward to shake his cousin's hand.

"I had the most exquisite greetings by my young cousin Georgiana, whom I'm happy to find in good health and mood, and I did not miss your presence at all," he said, jesting. "She looks much better than the last time I saw her."

Darcy beamed at that.

"Indeed. I'm very proud of her. She spent a few months at Pemberley with her chaperon. That made her a lot of good to have some quiet time alone. I think she's over that story with Wickham now."

"But not enough to be able to suffer our delicious aunt's compagny?" asked the colonel, maliciously.

"I thought she deserved to be spared, at least for that time." Darcy answered with a smile.

Fitzwilliam hadn't noticed anything special about his cousin at that point, but he wasn't surprised. Darcy was good at hiding his emotions. Fitzwilliam would have to provoke them a bit if he wanted to learn anything.

The valet entered to serve them drinks and they sat next to the fireplace.

"How was your stay in Hertfordshire then?"

"Boring. We hunted, walked around the country and stayed in the house. We had a few gatherings with the neighbours. I don't think Bingley's going to return there."

"Really? I thought he bought the house, didn't he? He can't be already tired of it."

"Oh, he liked the house all right. However, a comfortable house and nice surroundings do not always warrant an enjoyable stay. He made the mistake of mixing too much with the society of Meryton, the nearest village. And what a society it was! Always displaying an intolerable familiarity and lack of manners and property, always the same people that we had to see almost every day."

"Was Bingley sharing your opinion about that?"

"Of course not. He was absurdly happy of that familiarity and thought it was pittoresque. I'm not happy to say that he encouraged that attitude and even went as far as compromising himself with one young lady."

"I can't believe that of Charles Bingley. What can you mean?"

"He very imprudently fell in love with a young lady and wasn't careful enough to hide his preference. In such a society, it fastly became a fait accompli that they were to be married and people were taking it for granted even before Bingley had the time to think of it himself."

"If he really was smitten with the girl, I can't see what is the problem. He's 23 years old, has a good income and just bought a house. Knowing Bingley's character, I couldn't wish him greater happiness than settling down with a charming young wife."

"The girl was the problem. I don't think she was really interested in him. Probably pushed by her mother - she had five daughters to marry – to run after him. In love like he thought he was, I judged that it could just turn badly for him and make him unhappy. I spoke to him and explained him how unwise he has been and how foolish it would be to be dragged into marriage in such circumstances."

"He seems to be flightier than I thought. By all means, he was lucky to have you with him. That's not the kind of thing that is likely to happen to you, developing an inclination for someone without considering seriously all the aspects and consequences of it."

Fitzwilliam said the last sentence in a jest but he was happy to observe a slight change in his cousin's contenance. Darcy hesitated a bit before answering calmly by the affirmative. It was enough for him to suspect that his cousin had indeed developped an inclination. He needed now to know what was the problem that kept his cousin from announcing the happy event of his betrothal.

"Speaking of marriage Darcy, haven't you thought of it for yourself?"

Darcy looked at him sharply.

"Did one of our parents asked you to speak of that to me?"

"No. Should they have?"

"I was sure some member of the family, like your mother, would come to me with something like that anyday."

"So you did thought of marrying."

"I thought of marriage in general, as it is a state most of my friends had entered or are thinking of entering now. As for marrying myself, if I thought of it, there still is the problem of finding a potential bride."

"Come on Darcy. Nothing's more easier for you. You're rich and women find you attractive no matter your lame social skills. You could marry our cousin Ann, and thus become richer, or have the incomparable Miss Bingley and be sure to get an pleasant brother-in-law. Or you can find a pretty and sweet young lady that would be in admiration in front of you and wouldn't be able to refuse you. Even with your taciturn way, it would be easy for you. I can't see why you have to be so difficult."

Darcy seemed to be upset by that. His face was becoming a bit red and he was frowning.

"And could you tell me the reason why you are so keen to get me married to the first girl passing by?" he asked.

"I'm thinking of Georgiana."

"Georgiana?"

"Yes. Wouldn't the best thing that can happen to her be to have a sister? A sister, not much older than her that could really be her friend – more than any old chaperon you could hire - but old enough to be able to guide her in the world and give her advice. She's too shy to make herself friends and I think she desesperatly need some female companion."

"I can't believe there is no solution to that then marrying the first girl I meet."

"I can't believe there isn't at least one young lady that you find slightly more plesant than the others."

At that, Darcy was showing signs of agitation and answered sharply that he thought the decision was up to him and the day he would find a lady he could envision to spend his life with, his cousin would be the first to be informed of it.

Fitzwilliam understood the topic was closed. He was satisfied with this first conversation. After all, they would spend the next few weeks together, with no more exciting company that Lady Catherine and Ann; he would have plenty of time to interrogate him more.

* * *

Darcy was glad when the time came for him to change for dinner. The new he learned from Lady Catherine's letter, a few minutes before the arrival of his cousin, though not surprising, required some time to get used to, and it certainly wasn't the weird conversation he just had with his cousin that helped him to regain peace of mind.

According to Lady Catherine, the new vicar of Rosings, Mr Collins, had just married. She thought even the lower society of Mr and Mrs Collins and the sister and the friend of the new Mrs Collins, miss Bennet and miss Lucas, would be a pleasant distraction for the two gentlemen that were usually bored with the lack of society of Rosings.

Darcy had been apprehensive about finally hearing the new in the last few weeks. With the possibility of the betrothal of Bingley and Jane Bennet, the betrothal of Elizabeth to her cousin, Mr Collins, had been the topic the most talked about in Meryton the week before his departure. He even heard her own mother announce it to her friends as a certitude at the Netherfield ball. If he was pained to imagine her married to such a man as Mr Collins, he was also relieved. Other rumours about her and Wickham had been circulating, and the quarrel they had when dancing at Netherfield had been constantly in his mind since the ball. At least, now she was safe and far away from Wickham.

And he was going to see her again. The difference was that now he would be safe from her. She was out of his reach and seeing her married would help him to resign himself and convince himself that it was pointless to continue to think about her. At least, that's what he hoped.


End file.
